REPORT: MSU Lands High Seed In 2026 Bracket Projection
Michigan State men's basketball is once again is in a difficult situation to gauge this offseason.
But ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi doesn't have the Spartans falling too far off next season. Lunardi has Michigan State projected as a No. 4 seed in his first 2026 bracketology.
The well-renowned analyst has projected a slight regression after the Spartans' meteoric rise in the 2024-25 season. They entered the season unranked and climbed to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament before getting eliminated by the No. 1 seed Auburn Tigers.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo must look for new players to step up to lead the Spartans to another top seed in March Madness after losing their top three scoring options in the offseason.
Despite being the reigning Big Ten champions, there are a few teams from the Big Ten that are projected to finish higher than the Spartans.
The Purdue Boilermakers were named the No. 1 team in the projected field by Lunardi. The Boilermakers return 2025 Big Ten Player of The Year, Braden Smith. The guard announced he would return to West Lafayette for his senior season after averaging 15.8 points and 8.7 assists per game.
Smith and the Boilermakers will host Michigan State at Mackey Arena sometime next season after the Big Ten announced the locations for all in-conference matchups on Tuesday.
After making major splashes in the transfer portal, the Michigan Wolverines are projected to be a No. 2 seed. Wolverines head coach Dusty May faces the same issue as Izzo, with most of his scoring production from last season leaving.
Former Michigan State forward Xavier Booker transferred to the UCLA Bruins, who are also projected as the No. 4 seed. Booker will return to the Breslin Center after transferring away this offseason.
The final team, apart from Lunardi's Last Four In, is the North Carolina State Wolfpack, the new home of former Spartans guard Tre Holloman. NC State decided to make a coaching change after a disappointing season following their 2024 Final Four trip and hired former McNeese coach Will Wade.
NC State could distance itself from the bubble if it lands transfer guard PJ Haggerty from Memphis. There have been reports of mutual interest between the All-American guard and the Wolfpack.
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